KABUL: The Taliban interior ministry said on Thursday the case against a detained British couple wasn’t “serious” and that officials hoped it would be resolved “soon”, as a source said diplomatic missions were working for their release.

Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who are in their 70s, were detained in February with visiting Chinese-American friend Faye Hall and their Afghan translator, as they travelled to their home in central Bamiyan province.

Hall, a US citizen, was released last month, not long after a rare visit by US officials to Kabul and the removal of millions of dollars of bounties on multiple Taliban leaders.

“Their case isn’t anything serious,” interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said, adding that they would be “treated according to Sharia.

“We hope their case will be resolved soon, their matter isn’t anything big to worry about.”

A source familiar with the couple’s case said it was “more complicated” than Hall’s.

“Several (non-Islamic) religious books had been found in their home, which is the remaining allegation currently being examined by Taliban courts,” the source said.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2025